UK / ASIA PACIFIC
Legal education
that changes
the world
Over 1000 students from around the world helping us deliver in excess of 60,000 pro bono hours per year.
We create innovative pro bono opportunities for students to gain unparalleled work experience in the UK legal system by assisting with criminal appeal cases and regulatory and fitness to practise proceedings. And by working pro bono, students help us to provide vital assistance to clients who can’t fund legal representation and might otherwise be denied access to justice.
Our innovative approach to legal education allows students to participate remotely, online, from anywhere in the world.
Our students work on real cases under the guidance of expert lawyers. They get access to the most rewarding and interesting pro bono casework imaginable. Our clients get free help and the benefit of the most enquiring minds, emergent legal talent and knowledge, supported by a permanent casework team recruited from the best and brightest students and graduates on our programmes.
Some of the institutions
we work with...
Train to be a UK solicitor from anywhere in the WORLD
We provide comprehensive preparation for the SQE 1, SQE 2 and a period of qualifying work experience opportunities for £294 per month over 12 months.
Our SQE programme provides aspiring solicitors with the opportunity to develop functioning legal knowledge and practical skills for the SQE 1 and SQE 2 assessment, whilst gaining Qualifying Work Experience by working on real life cases within the clinic.
Pro Bono
Criminal Appeals
Opportunities for students to gain unique insight into criminal defence work in the UK as well as understanding the complexities of criminal appeals and applications to the Criminal Cases Review Commission.
Whether you are considering criminal practice in the UK or simply curious about criminal defence work, our pro bono programme gives you detailed insight into to the appeals process and the challenges of pursuing wrongful conviction applications with the Criminal Cases Review Commission.
Pro Bono
Fitness to Practise
Our students help nurses and midwives navigate the complexities of professional misconduct proceedings instigated by their regulator, by researching potential defences and routes to appeal.
Our FTP programme is designed to provide those who are considering representing themselves at a panel hearing or on appeal with support and information to be able to make informed choices about how they proceed with their case.
We provide unique pro bono and CLE services to leading universities across the UK, helping to inspire future generations of lawyers. What’s more, we also work remotely, so your students can gain fantastic work-based experience no matter where they are, in the UK or beyond.
For more information or to discuss how you can get involved, please email our Clinic Director, Luke Gittos.
We act for defendants convicted of the most serious criminal offences and assist in preparing cases for review by the Court of Appeal and the CCRC. To find out how our unique work pairing students with experienced lawyers could benefit your case, email us.
Whether you are an early career lawyer looking to gain experience in criminal defence work, or an experienced professional considering pro bono opportunities that make a difference, email Luke Gittos to find out how you can get involved in our work. Our innovative approach and use of technology makes it easy for you to contribute remotely and make effective use of the time you dedicate not only to pro bono but to influence and inspire future generations of lawyers.
Our engagement with students working across the legal spectrum gives us a unique perspective when it comes to the opportunities and challenges facing our legal system both today and in the future. If you are looking for an expert opinion, case study material, or simply want to find out how we are shaping the future of clinical legal education then email Luke Gittos.
Legal education
Train to be a solicitor - £294 per month
Our latest legal education programme is designed to make qualifying as a solicitor even more affordable, accessible and flexible…for everyone. From September 2021 our full SQE programme including Qualifying Work Experience will be available on a pay-as-you-go basis…
Youth violence and knife crime
Launch event
Throughout 2021 the clinic will be focussing on the issue of youth violence and knife crime, bringing together experts, academics and students…
Race and policing
Essay competition winners
Following our incredibly successful Race and Policing Forum in the summer of 2020, the winners of the essay prize are announced.
Understanding criminal appeals
The White House Farm murders
Watch our video intro series where Luke Gittos talks about criminal appeals in the context of the Jeremy Bamber and the ‘White House Farm’ murders of 1985.
Video and Podcasts
Criminal justice system and Covid-19
Listen to the inaugural edition of our podcast where we interview James Mullholland QC, chair of the Criminal Bar Association, talking about the response to the pandemic.
Civil liberties in the Lockdown
Final report published
Read the culmination of students’ work tracking and analysing the legislative and policing response to Covid-19.
We are our people, because it's their time
and expertise that make all of our projects
and programmes a success.
Our mission:
Innovative
Legal
Education
The Freedom Law Clinic was established in 2015 as a pro bono and alternatively funded project looking at apparent cases of miscarriages of justice, providing support to convicted prisoners who are maintaining their innocence.
As a result of our initial work, we developed a unique programme which harnesses the power of students to provide vital resource for those who are not able to afford representation and might otherwise be denied access to justice.
Now we are a Community Interest Company and fund our work through a diverse range of paid-for education services. We keep our overheads to a minimum and any profit we make is retained within the company and reinvested to fulfil our long term goal of delivering legal education that really does change the world.
Luke
Gittos
Solicitor, Clinic Director
Having worked in criminal justice since 2009, Luke qualified as a solicitor in 2013 and developed a specialist practice in complex criminal litigation. He is a partner at Murray Hughman Solicitors and as well as founding the clinic also supervises all of our criminal casework and sets the strategic direction for our work.
Grant
Ambridge
Solicitor, Director
Grant is the managing partner at Murray Hughman Solicitors and a highly-regarded expert in complex criminal cases. Since qualifying in 2002 he has focussed exclusively on criminal practice, covering the most serious offences and prosecutions brought by the CPS, HMRC, the NCA and the SFO.
Khaled
Hussain-Dupré
Casework Director
Khaled is the clinic’s most senior caseworker and having joined the clinic in 2017 has been central to managing our client work and applications to the CCRC. He has also worked extensively to nurture relationships with our partner universities and develop new legal education programmes.
Benjamin
Bardell
Programme Manager
Ben is currently studying for the CILEX qualification and having completed our criminal appeals programme in 2020 is ideally placed to provide support and guidance to students as well as ensuring that our client work stays on track.
Melissa
Dubé
Programme Manager
Melissa has been instrumental in rolling out a number of student-led programmes, leading the clinic’s response to topical legal issues. Following the completion of our criminal appeals programme Melissa now interfaces with students to maximise engagement across our programmes.
Sam
Wilson
Programme Coordinator
Sam is currently finishing her LLB whilst also working as a nurse, which gives her invaluable insight when it comes to coordinating our Fitness to Practise work and giving broader context to the legal issues that our clients face.
Jan
Evans
Programme Coordinator
Jan spent much of her career to date working as a paramedic and supports the clinic with a brilliant combination of creative, technical and administrative skills to ensure that our programmes (and our team!) run smoothly and efficiently.
Features
Address
- c/o Murrays Partnership Solicitors
- Uncommon
- 1 Long Lane
- London
- SE1 4PG
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